Emma

Paint by Numbers, Emma.

Emma is an advanced little 8 year old, and doctors tests can prove it. She's inherited her parents ADHD and is always ready to do something productive with the left brain. She's clever, and smart, and voices her opinion quite strongly. But how will that help her make friends? Who knows, let's find out.

Trudging around in the hallways after the first year was a lot less stressful, she had Teddy with her every single day, and they'd have adventures on the playground. She'd chase sharks with him, she'd throw grenades with him, and she'd climb tall towers and slay dragons with him; the playground was an adventurous place with many great obstacles and challenges.

When she got back from being sick for a couple days, someone had taken her seat in class. She hadn't been the first one there, so she hadn't been informed of the new seating chart. In her space was a blonde kid, about her height. He looked a bit like Teddy, but he definitely wasn't. When he turned around he had green eyes instead of blue ones, he had a chubbier facial structure, and a smile that seemed unintentionally nervous.

"Where am I gonna sit?" Emma asked.

Her new teacher, Mister Buck as they called him, had switched up everything. Instead of sitting by the door as usual, she was supposed to sit across the room from it. She instead sat at the curved table by the whiteboard. She didn't like the crowds of people, and she certainly didn't like sitting with table groups.

A couple hours later, a new kid entered the classroom. He sat down at the back table promptly and fell asleep on the desk. He was at the same table as Emma. For a second it appalled everyone, and then, they turned around and faced forward again. They were more interested in what Mister Buck was reading to the class at that point in time.

Emma had sat with her coloring book for awhile and decided to poke the sleeping kid with a couple of her crayons to see if he'd wake up, but he didn't. He had shaggy black hair and long eyelashes, very light skin, and about the weakest tolerance for staying awake that Emma had ever seen. She continued poking him with her crayons for a long period of time and he still didn't budge.

When he finally had enough, he took the crayon from her and set it back down where she had every other one of her crayons. He didn't say anything to her. He just laid back down and slept.

By the end of the day, Mister Buck was steaming mad at the new kid, he climbed out from behind his desk with the most unimpressed look on his face. Emma had never seen an adult be so unhappy with something before.

Mister Buck slammed a textbook beside the new kid and announced, "Are you going to wake up and introduce yourself to the class Mr. Dawson?"

He stood up, rubbing his eyes. Emma stood up beside him and smiled proudly; she didn't know why, but she could already tell her and this new kid were going to be the best of friends.

He started speaking, and squinting at the world around him, he muttered, "My name is Jeremy Dawson."

"Spell it please." Mister Buck announced.

"Okay. J-e-r-e-m-y." He spelled his name rather slowly. Emma nudged him for support and told him to keep going, but he started struggling when he tried to spell his last name. "D-a-m-s-o, no that's not it, D . . . A. D-a-W-s-o-n."

Emma and Jeremy sat back down, and waited in the back of the room for the bell to ring. She was happy to help, and she was hopeful that Jeremy would consider her a friend. He turned around and said, "Why are you talking to me?"

"I wanted to help. How come you sleep so much?"

He didn't know how to reply, "I just moved here from New York. I'm tired."

"Well, it's nice to meet you."

He smiled, blushing a little. Emma held out her hand and he shook it. "So what's your name?"

She jumped up and said, "My name is Emma!"

Emma and Jeremy talked for what seemed like hours after that. She didn't know she'd meet a new friend today, and she certainly didn't acknowledge that they met over crayons for a paint by numbers book. When they announced their names to each other, it was the start of a rather mischievous and incredible friendship.

So Emma has now met her first real life friend. A sleepy, New-York-er boy named Jeremy Dawson. When they meet, it is the start of an ongoing friendship, and as Emma gets older, she'll meet new and amazing people. She'll do clever and amazing things. And her parents will always be there to support her. Join Emma in the next chapter to see more thrilling every day adventures with Emma.